ShiroTori
by Fate4Destiny
Summary: Ukitake x oc/ reader Ukitake finds himself in the living world with no recollection of the fight which brought him there. He finds someone willing to help him.
1. Chapter 1

~1~ forfeit

Ukitake felt his hand quiver and his lungs convulsed in a deep cough. His body shook and blood slipped past slim fingers who tried desperately to stop it. He sunk down on the ground, knees hitting the ground hard enough to form bruises. He gasped for breath, trying to collect air through the blood filling his mouth. Unable to stop the blood he lowered his hands to wrap around the growing pain in his chest. His body arched slightly, his eyes growing tired as they strained to stay open. Eventually he couldn't handle it anymore. He let it win.

He fell completely on the ground which was now coated in his slick blood. His breathing ragged, his body tensing, he let his eyes close in the faint hope when he awoke the pain would be gone. If he would wake.

The cold night air swept over his body, ruffling his clothes and causing his pale skin to grow cold. His white hair was now blood stained, the usual clean style it was in had lost all organization as it was cast carelessly over his face. His body was curled up in a weakening pose, and his breathing was shallow, strands of blood still leaking down his mouth. An unconscious shell which was now in a state which clearly spelt out the inner pain.

His hands lost all grip on the ground as he faded even further into blood loss and the consuming pain which cursed him.


	2. Chapter 2

~2~ crimson ground

A sigh breathed off your lips, the cold air turning it a frosty white. Eager eyes looked up at the sky for snow but returned disappointed. Holding the hot tea in the cup tighter in shivering hands, you took the first stride onto the grass. Each blade was iced over in unique patterns, the edges white which lost the battle to cover the entire plant.

With wet lips starting to grow numb, you took another sip of the overly hot liquid. The temperature of even that small source of heat had fallen and steps quickened to ensure the same would not happen to you.

Each stride was faster than the next until you took off in a run, the cup settled in a perfect balance between palm and fingertips to avoid spilling. Feet moved swiftly over the grass until they suddenly hit something else.

Almost causing you to collapse, you quickly rearranged yourself to catch balance. Half of the tea didn't meet the same fate. A small yet discouraging sound broke you lips at the thought of going back to make a new cup. Your time was pressed as it was.

Eyes drifted down then froze in complete shock. A body laid at your feet, the ground stained crimson and the body frosted over. Unmoving as it was, your first thought was it was dead and you should leave it as is until you could call the police.

As if being able to tell another presence was there, a small groan escaped through the body's open and bloody mouth. You dropped to your knees without another thought, quickly brushing the hair which was coated in the now sticky blood from the person's face. A finger dipped in tea slowly traced across their lips, wetting their mouth and freeing it from the dried blood which began to crack in the cold air. Their lips now glistening in the morning sun you brought your finger to trace over their pale jaw and slowly dipped it into their hair. Even though it was a pure white, ignoring the red blood, they didn't look that old. Not a single wrinkle which would have been on anybody who had hair turned white from age. They were beautiful, and their gender was still a mystery to you. Such a beautiful face couldn't belong to a man, and their hair was so long. But there was nothing that completely stood out at the moment to disclose a gender.

Your hands slowly tied the hair back using my own hair ribbon. You then slowly traced a hand over his neck, inspecting for a wound. Most blood was over his upper body and head area.

Unable to move the body without knowing where the wound that could potentially be made worser was, focused rested on their frosted clothes. Placing a hand against the cold body you realized undressing them in this weather could surely tip the faint scale of their life. Leaving the teacup on the red grass you began to pickup the body by their shoulders. As tall as they were, they were light, and a thought briefly entered your mind if that was from whatever hardships they faced to get into such a state.

Whatever the cause, you managed to slowly move the body back to your place of residence. Laying the body softly on the veranda you slid open the door to the one story home in a traditional Japanese style. Assuming it was empty you once again half carried, half dragged the body inside. Your breath became labored at the constant weight being made to carry, your kimono stained red. Slipping off your shoes you hoped that the warm heat of the inside would help the body awake.

A voice broke your thoughts which drifted from a few rooms over.

"Back already?"

"Yes. I- I found another lost soul."

"Another animal? We agreed on no more cats or dogs this season."

A tender gaze swept over the body of the blood soaked stranger before you answered.

"It's just a bird. A white bird."

"A dove?"

"I'm not sure what they are yet. Can I keep it? This one is injured..."

"Alright..."

Not hearing the certainty in the answer you once again went to the task of moving the body. Bringing it to your room, you laid them down on your futon. The door closed with a small whisper and you went to better observe the person.

You saw that they clothes were traditional ones and you wondered if they wore the clothes for a festival or such. You slowly pulled their clothes away from their body, a haori leaving them and an obi. 「1」 Once those were gone you took off their sandals and socks.

Stroking a hand down their cheek you began to get caught in the beauty of the being and the sense of need to protect this person you found was now written inside of you.

Taking a towel and a bowl of water, you wet the towel with the warm water and moved back to the person. You slowly wiped their face clean, wetting the inside of their mouth. The water carried their blood and it dripped onto your bed, creating faded pink streaks with the red smears.

A soft moan escaped the person's lips, their voice deep and raspy. Curious now of what gender this person was you pulled apart their shirt. Bruised flesh was the first thing you noticed, the second being that there was no blood. Maybe an internal wound was what caused this person to bleed so profusely. What you lastly noticed was that they were in fact a male. A blush rose to your cheeks at the thought of this being the first male other than family who had entered your room. Some part of you was pleased though, that admiring this person was natural then.

Peeling off the man's shirt to better clean him you noticed the deep blue bruising worked up his chest from his upper stomach to his lower neck. Careful not to touched the painful looking flesh you slowly picked up a hand. Feeling the coldness of it you wrapped it in a blanket.

Deciding that the rest of his body would be better with more heat, you slowly layered him with blankets. Leaving the water and towel on the floor next to the futon, you waited for him to wake.

「1」I'm not entirely sure of the proper Japanese word... I know an obi is for a kimono... I hope you got the point of it being the white belt-thingy the shinigami wear... If anybody knows the proper term, please tell me so I can fix it... I don't even know if the sandals have a name or not *sigh*


	3. Chapter 3

~3~ a lost reflection

After an hour of watching him you decided he wouldn't wake anytime soon. Maybe this was beyond you. Something must have made him bleed, and that wouldn't have changed by just warmth and time. He could be dying and all you would have done was sit and watch. Guilt couldn't have been worse if you made that blood leave the pale body yourself.

Turning to find some medication which could help him, your eyes caught the shine of a silvery layer of glass. Resting your eyes on it you slowly mused on as the red staining you stood out against the pale cream colored kimono.

Your eyes couldn't stay unfocused from their hidden desire though, and they shifted to see the person laying on the bed through the silver reflection. Instead of the reflection of the man you so surely expected, your blankets were unused. You turned quickly, rubbing your eyes to wipe away any attempts of deceit. This continued until you were certain. This man had no reflection.

Somber steps brought you back to him, wondering what he was. Your imagination, some sort of illusion, perhaps even a demon or a being from a shrine. Your hands softly stroked the man's shoulders to ensure you it wasn't a trick of your mind or light. What this person had was physical attributes with a non-physical sense.

Kneeling at his side your eyes swept over his body which the blankets concealed. Hands slowly pulled them down to his waist, his skin being shown to all in view.

You bowed your head as you thought, your hair cascading over his chest and your hands tightening slowly to avert him from vanishing as if the mirror worked as your own sight.

The faint scent of copper from the crimson substance reached you as a deeper one did, one mixed with the outdoor nature, probably from him laying outside. The bruised flesh that covered him over his lungs was now softly pressing against your forehead and your breathing deepened. A faint shiver ran down your spine just from being so close to such a beautiful creature as he.

A deep yet short groan filled your ears, and you raised your head to avoid touching the sensitive and abused flesh any longer. The small sound echoed in your ears as you softly rubbed his shoulders, wanting to soothe him. This caused him to mumble a string of sounds which you didn't hear well enough to even repeat, much less understand.

You lifted yourself and brought your mouth to his ear to softly whisper your plea. He didn't respond, his body numb to your presence and the words telling him to wake. You slowly got to your feet and went to collect the medicines you originally went to gather.


	4. Chapter 4

~4~ the poison of pain

The soft hues of light reached into his dreams, murmuring to him to wake up. He couldn't physically wake, his body too exhausted to move and his thoughts blurring into a dark haze of sleep. A faint feeling brushed over his shoulders and chest, causing his nerves to react. But he couldn't react back on them.

Slowly, pressure was applied to his body and it slowly woke up. Nerves already pulsing in pain, the pressure caused his lungs to tighten, coming so dangerously close to provoking another attack in him. His breath hardly came out of his throat and what reached his mouth only dried out what faintly remained of a dampness. The taste of blood and salt filled it, and his mouth was so dry every breath played with his reflexes, trying to make him cough.

The pain and nerves being tormented were slightly balanced out, though not to an extent he would have preferred. A soothing warmth wrapped over his body and caused every part of him that didn't face pain or discomfort to be numb. He didn't want to move, not even to alleviate the discomfort and pain.

He felt himself get raised slightly, warm and smooth hands on his center back. He let his head fall back as delicate fingers traced briefly down his spine. He was too numb to give an outer reaction though inwardly he shivered. It sent sparks of life through his body and he wanted the soft touch to continue.

To his dismay it didn't. Instead, they came to his chest and slowly rubbed circles over the pained sections of his body. The fingers were dampened and a heat seemed to be left where they went. As each part was quickly made better he couldn't find much reason to object to it. Eventually the caring fingers reached the center of his chest. The pain was too much, his lungs feeling like they would break and crumble. His body was taken over my reflexes and he tilted his head back, moaning out in pain. The pressure was removed for a second and he took in a dry gasp of air to catch himself. The pressure was then moved back and he gave a choked sound, words not coming out of his mouth. His chest rose and fell quickly as the fingers worked downwards to even sorer flesh. Words couldn't be pronounced, moans flowing freely from his lips. He took as much strength as he had and shifted, a feeble attempt to shake the pain away. Moans turned to cries of pain and his eyes slowly opened then squeezed shut fiercely in pain. The pressure still went downwards and he gave a loud cry, sobs breaking out of him. His lungs tightened and the sobs turned to choking. Suddenly the pressure was removed and he panted, his breathing loud and ragged. The scorching heat from the gel like substance which coated his sore body worked quickly, but the heat added irritation. He turned around and buried his head into soft materials. Through his now smothered confinements he smelled peppermint, and he knew it was a mentholated analgesic 「3」that was used.

His shoulders rose and fell slower and slower, his wet eyelashes slowly blinking to allow all remaining tears to slip away. Pain had eroded at his core that it was too fresh to ignore. He slowly licked a tear off his lips and slowly decided he'd do best to wake fully.

「3」If you don't know what this is, think of it like Tiger Balm. If you don't know what that is, it's a cream/ gel which alleviates pain and usually has a strong scent. In Tiger Balm it's not too pleasing, whereas Menthol has a peppermint scent. And if that's not chemically or medically correct, then send me the corrections if you can. Anyways, it's my story and if I wanted, it could rain candy in it...


	5. Chapter 5

~5~ a small gift which meant the world

His thoughts to wake seemed so distant to reality as he slowly reflected on his situation. The peppermint smell was actually the reason why. Nobody in Soul Society would have used that. It was from the human world, and in Soul Society such external wounds would have been easily fixed to the degree they vanished completely in mere moments.

The familiarity of the scent and medicine made him reminiscent for a small moment. When he was younger he'd go to the human world with the goal of soothing himself of his illness. Sometimes he got close. One of those times was with mentholated analgesic. It worked only in the first day, and Unohana had told him he shouldn't rely on drugs and medicines from the human world. They'd lose their effect quickly on him. But the effects they did have had been heaven while it lasted. Not only did shinigami get immune to diseases from the Human world, they build immunity up to their drugs among other things. A soul could not be expected to be effected by things meant for the living. They belonged to two different worlds, yanked from one to spend time in the other. Ukitake knew he was fortunate enough to watch the world grow up, and he felt slight proud at it. It came a long way, facing hardships as Soul Society was one, no feuds among itself to such degrees that weapons were created which made bankai look like mere child's play. Soul society also never evolved, never changed. When Ukitake brought this up it was always in a wistful and romanticized tone, one laughed at with words of him becoming too old...

His memories took him too far because someone eventually rubbed his upper back to make him shake out of it. He gave a small hum that came deep from his throat to show he was alive at the very least. He slowly put a hand flat against soft blankets and pushed himself up. His arms shook as he tried desperately not to fall. It proved useless though as his body collapsed. He was caught, one hand over his lower stomach and another over his sore lungs, the palm of the hand digging itself into his chest. His sounds were caught in his throat once again and became a pleading cry to be let go of. It was quickly done and he let his body collapse onto the blankets. He felt one get pulled up over his naked chest and over his shoulders. His eyes still closed he felt a tender kiss on his forehead. His hum of approval vibrated through his body as he felt whoever helped him leave him be. He was deep in sleep only seconds later, answers left blank and a want unsatisfied for more of the pain to be relieved.


	6. Chapter 6

~6~ your white bird

Watching his breathing slow as he slept, you began to let regret seep through. You should have stopped if you were hurting him so much. His cries rang in your ears and you softly wiped the tears away from his eyes. You wiped the faint wet mark your lips made on his forehead. It was an attempted apology for hurting him. And you began to feel that he had accepted it from the way his hum sounded.

With a faint sigh your eyes caught his white hair still stained in what remained of the blood coating his body. You slowly took a brush from your things and filled the bowl with clean water.

Sitting behind his head you pulled the ribbon from his hair which you had put in when you first found him. Uncaring if your bedding got even more stained, you dipped his hair into the water and began to slowly brush it through. His hair was soft and the color of ivory went from start to end, assuring you it was the natural color of his hair.

The silence peaceful, his soft breathing and the sound of the water lapping only breaking it apart. You worked in silence, the task taking all your attention and you took care of him with the greatest care you could. After all, he was a little bird who you stumbled across and promised to bring back to health. Your Shirotori. 「4」

「4」Shiro: White. Tori: bird. I am not Japanese nor can I speak the language (yet). So just assume I translated correctly...


	7. Chapter 7

~7~ innocence to protect

A dry cough caught your full attention as you put down what you were doing and kneeled beside the man. He had spent the entire day so far sleeping and it was already dark outside. Your room was lit by candles as you didn't want the lights on to disturb him.

You lifted his upper body slowly, the blanket slipping off his soft and pale skin. He shuddered violently at each cough he gave and he quickly covered his mouth with his hands. Thankfully the coughing didn't last long, and he sat silently. He then slowly brought his hand away and fresh blood caught your eye. So he didn't have an external wound.

You held him steady until you felt him shift away from you. He leaned back on his arms and for the first time he looked at you. His emerald eyes caught your gaze and he then gave a small smile. It caught you off guard. What was there to possibly smile about? He was somewhere he didn't know, and he just coughed up blood after being unable to move for so long.

Your gaze must have given you away because he averted it. He glanced down at himself and a blush colored his cheeks. You reached out to cup his chin and you made him face you again. The faint smile gone, he looked deeply at you, both of you studying the other. Eventually you decided he seemed to be out of the fits of pain.

Slowly slipping your hand from his chin you picked up a warm cup of tea and held it out to him. No words were spoken as he took it in his own hands, warm fingers brushing over yours. Bowing your head to hide a blush, you got to your feet and pulled out a small mirror from your things. Raising your head and looking at him, you settled on the idea of trusting him to not be some sort of demon with no reflection.

Once again kneeling at his side, he lowered the cup, the rim of it red. He slowly pulled the blanket off and sat cross legged, facing you. He ran a hand through his hair to feel it was damp before collecting it behind his head. You held out a piece of ribbon in silence and he quickly had his hair tied back. He was mute for awhile and you watched him gather his surroundings and look around. His eyes caught his haori carefully folded next to the futon with his shirt and sandals. They were no longer bloodied and he began to think about why exactly he was helped so much.

When the emerald eyes rested once more on you, you held out the mirror. He picked it up and looked in it, seeing his own reflection but he knew you wouldn't be able to. He then could only nod. Thoughts now wondering how much you knew, he placed the mirror down. He looked at you with patient eyes, the ones telling you they expect some type of story or argument.

"Who and what are you?"

Words hardly could come above a whisper and the man slowly reached out to you. Tracing a hand along your cheek in a touch you hardly felt, he leaned closer to speak in a whisper.

"You first."

Ukitake gave a small smile, but his eyes became the slightest bit defensive. He wasn't one to make rash mistakes, experience was too good of a teacher. He wouldn't tell someone who was alive about Soul Society unless he was told to by the captain commander or if the person had to truly know. This was someone who was scared and nervous, and he saw right through you to grasp that emotion inside you.

His eyes softened as he felt you shiver, your mind telling you not to tell a stranger anything. With a soft hand caressing your cheek you eventually murmured your name. A pause of his hand's slow movements made you look up at him. He smiled warmly before removing his hand.

"Ukitake Jūshirō. I won't worry you with the rest of my identity. Thank you for taking care of me."

His deep and caring voice entranced you as you mumbled a few words in response about it not being a problem. Nervously clasping your hands together, you slowly asked him why he was outside and bloodied.

He gave a soft sigh, his eyes going off in thought. Eventually he came across words to describe it.

"The blood isn't that relevant to my own questions."

"And what's your questions?"

"The same as yours. What am I doing here and why was I unconscious outside."

His voice fell more serious as he spoke and you nodded.

"W- will you hurt me?"

Your voice shook and you watched him shake his head to signal a firm no.

"Why would I ever do that? You saved my life, I owe you mine, takings yours would be a deranged act against humanity."

His words attempted to reassure you and you slowly nodded, he emitted a soothing aura of the sorts which made you fell more trusting towards him than most other new people you would meet.

"Ukitake-san, are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, thank you. Back to perfect health."

He gave a cute smile, tilting his head slightly and a strand of ivory hair drifted across his left eye. Your almost faded blush intensified and you averted your gaze. It wasn't like he tried to make you blush. Cursing yourself for being so easily embarrassed you came up with another question.

"Would you like some food?"

Ukitake was silent for a few moments before nodding his head. He must have exerted himself spiritual energy wise before going unconscious, a hunger starting to cause more pain in his stomach. It was feeling he hadn't experienced in awhile and it wasn't at all pleasing.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"It's none at all. I was going to make some anyways for myself. You can come with me if you want or spend some more time resting."

Green eyes cast back to the warm blankets and then at his hostess.

"I'll help you."

Ignoring your stuttering he slowly got to his feet. Taking a few shaky steps to balance himself, he slowly took in a few breaths of air. He then reached out to grab the rest of his uniform on the chair.

"You can borrow some other clothes if you want, since you slept in those."

The hint was obvious and Ukitake gave a small chuckle. An interesting hostess indeed. He soon was holding a set of clean clothes and was directed to the bathroom. Feeling slightly like a young child he gave his thanks and went into the room. Once the door closed he looked in the mirror and looked at the almost black flesh that was on his chest from severe bruising. That most certainly did not come from his illness. Something must have caused it, and by how it was situated over his one weaker spot, his lungs, and nowhere else, he guessed it wasn't from an accident.

He cast another look around and then felt the spiritual energy around him. Only one other was present at the moment, the one from his hostess. But no matter how much he tried to assure himself, he couldn't succeed. He had three things holding him back. One was the proof he clearly lost a fight of some sort, and the other was the feeling something bad would happen. And the last reason was perhaps the simplest one of all. He didn't want you hurt. You were an innocent being, one who only showed him the best intentions possible. If he had been attacked and followed, he was putting you in danger.

While he know had better health he decided it would be best to leave. If he got hurt so much then, it would most likely happen again. And how could a young human hold up to whatever monster attacked him? He wasn't one to handle the risk. He would give his thanks and see what he could do to repay you, and then he promised himself he would leave. It was the right thing to do.


	8. Chapter 8

~8~ ivory and emerald beauty with black stains

You set the bowls on the table as soft and almost silent footsteps entered the room. Looking up, you were stunned by pure beauty. Ukitake stood there with his hair long and loose, each one an untainted white. He wore a white kimono which had green lines which made designs of leaves in a color which perfectly matched his eyes. He gave you a warm smile as he stood across from you, waiting for you to sit. Without another word you sunk to your knees and watched the white hair man do the same with a grace you never saw anybody have before to such an extent. Passing him a bowl your eyes caught sight of his skin at the top of the kimono. It was almost a pure black and the sight sickened you. You watched his hands suddenly pull at the kimono to hide it and once done he could only let the silence be his shame.

You averted your gaze and nervously took a bite of food. Ukitake followed your act much slower and you noticed his eyes were partially closed and his head was bowed, strands of ivory covering his expression.

"Is there anything I could do to help the bruising? I have more creams if those will be of any use... Did the gel I use help? I want to say sorry for hurting you when I put it on. I was so sure it would help, I just didn't want to see you suffer."

Your voice laced in sorrow, a hand reached out and soothingly took yours. The physical touch made you look up at him and he looked right back at you.

"It helped, and if I could somehow get more of that...? But on another note, you did save my life and meant only the best intentions. I wouldn't have been able to apply it on my own with that much pain, and it truly did help. It was worth the pain."

You slowly spoke a thanks for his words and your fingers traced down the palm of his hand, exploring his hand. He held it open without any complaint as you traced your fingers down it in almost shaking, feather light touches.

He took another bite of food, trying to stop the hunger pains he faced while he had no appetite from his illness. He forced himself to eat some more before he poured himself some tea. He poured some into your cup for you then watched you silently as you took a small sip.

When your eyes caught his from him gazing at you he quickly broke the gaze and turned it back the food. You two ate in a soothing silence as you rested your hand on his. He held it back loosely and you found the silence peaceful, like an unheard lullaby coming to show itself.

"I have a question for you, one you can refuse answering since I should be the one paying you back. But this is quite important to me. I usually have a kantana with me while in uniform. I didn't see it in your room. I would understand if you took it away since I am a stranger. You don't have to tell where you hide if you did so, but I need to know wether or not it's safe."

His words were a lot more serious than the other times he spoke and you heard guilt in his voice.

"When I found you, you didn't have a kantana, and I didn't see one. Tomorrow morning I'll look outside for it. Is it important?"

"Yes, very much so. And I'll look for it, it's not your responsibility."

"You're still not healthy. The cold weather will make you worse. I get to make the rules since your my guest."

Ukitake didn't say anything in reply, unable to even say thank you. He was burden, not a guest. He was making the poor girl do everything for him, and he had yet to do anything back.


	9. Chapter 9

~9~ help goes both ways

Ukitake slowly managed to force himself to finish another mouthful of food as his illness made him feel like he ate too much while his stomach was saying it wasn't anywhere close to enough. Each time he swallowed, pain ran down his bruised chest.

Leaving the rest of his bowl untouched, he settled himself with tea.

His eyes would dart to you ever once in awhile, and then out the window as if something terrible would happen any moment. He wasn't sure if it was the darker light which cast over the room as the sun set which unsettled him, or simply the conclusions he had drawn before.

Hearing your chopsticks being placed down he looked to see you had finished. He stood up and began collecting the bowls.

"You should rest-"

"Let me repay my thanks. You saved my life and are taking care of me. You're the one who should get some sleep. I had plenty of time to rest."

With a soothing smile he left the room with the dishes and placed them in the kitchen sink. Before he began cleaning them he locked the window. He then slowly went around the house and did that to all of the windows and doors. He didn't have bad feelings often, and when he did they were usually right. Besides, a girl who lived by what seemed herself should have been more cautious for her own safety. He knew that on Earth in this era, the nicest and quickest people to trust always got hurt first. It was a shame but there was no downsides to his actions.


	10. Chapter 10

~10~ fear from the unknown

You slowly changed the sheets on the futon and wondered if you should sleep in the guest room. You picked up a blanket then curled up with a pillow the ground. You closed your eyes to try to sleep, but something kept you awake. Like a repetitive warning in your mind not to move, you became overcome by fear for a reason unknown.

You shivered in the thin material of your sleeping robe as you heard someone pant. There was a smothered cry and you quickly got to your feet. Each step slow you followed the noise until a familiar cry raced through the still air.

Your steps became quicker as you slid open the door and went down the hall. Once you came in the sitting room you were overcome by the scent of peppermint and you suddenly knew what was happening.

Going closer to the figure masked in shadows another cry was heard. Pain seeped the voice you went next to the figure and put your hand around theirs. You pulled it away then picked up the container of the medicated cream.

Kneeling at his side, you observed his body through the moonlight shinning through a nearby window. The kimono was shed completely from his upper body and the black looked sickening in the faint glow offering light.

"Should I...?"

There was no response to your question before he spoke out in a wavering breath.

"Bind me first."


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: rated M but a lime

~11~ Bound by future results

With his hands clasped and over his head you tightened the spare obi you tied around them at the wrist. His fingers slowly rested on the other of his hands as you slowly observed his chest.

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I need it healed quickly. For my work."

His words alone began to shake and you slowly shifted as you kneeled next to him, you body leaned over his. You softly traced a finger down his chest and his breathing became quicker.

"Don't tease me."

You nodded before dipping a finger into the cream then softly dabbed in onto the outside of the bruises in attempt to start somewhere less painful. He turned away from you and your hand firmly pushed his shoulder down so he face upwards as before. His body still hinted towards the turning the moment you let his shoulder go and he looked up at you before laying his head down.

"Just sit on me."

You nervously got up and then lowered yourself on him. You sat on waist with each leg on either side of him. A blush became evident on your cheeks as your sleeping robe spread open around your legs, leaving your body to be naked against his pale skin.

Slowly your hand began adding the cream over the flesh and he gave a quiet yet hurt cry. As your hands traced down his chest, you tried to keep the pressure as light as possible. His body shifted and he gave meaningless strings of words. He jerked his hips upwards as your hands brushed over his lower bruising and you felt his body press against yours. His action made you pause as it came with your own emotions in response.

Rubbing the cream in caused his shifts to become more frequent, and there was always a few which ran his body underneath yours, rubbing against sensitive regions and making you shiver. You finished putting cream over each bruise and his body slowed it's breathing. Placing your hands on his shoulders you felt him still raise his hips against you. Very slowly each jerk of his hips became more smooth and firm, more willingly. You looked in confusion at darkly colored green eyes who were overcome by an emotion much stronger than the others.

As his eyes glanced at your revealed lower body he let his head fall again in shame. He continued each sinful jerk of his hips until he felt something wet him. His body froze as he heard you give a small moan. Knowing he crossed the line he slowly let his hips touch the ground underneath him.

"I- I can't let us do this... You can unbind me now."

You followed his words and he was soon freed. He wasted no time sitting up and capturing your body in his arms. To your surprise he softly covered your body in the blankets on the futon and then gently kissed your forehead the same way you had done before.

"Thank you for helping me."

He softly murmured the words in your ear and you looked up at him before reaching out to him. He slowly took your hand and gave the touching skin a piteous look.

"Get some sleep."

"Where will you sleep?"

"That doesn't matter now. I apologize deeply for the trouble I put you through."

"It's no problem. It's much better than being lonely everyday."

"Hmmm,"

Another hum came from his which was deep and soft to your ears. Tender lips brushed against your forehead again as you heard him leave the room. With you body still tingling, you closed your eyes to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

~12~ sinned and guilty regret

He tried to control his breathing as he glanced at your sleeping form. He took his uniform from where it was still folded and put it on, ignoring his body's traitor.

The cold air of the room tinged his skin as he carefully made sure not to rub off the cream on his chest. Leaving his hair down he felt unbalanced without his zanpakutou at his side. It was always there and he found himself missing it. If the person who attacked him knew to aim at his lungs, it made sense they knew about shinigami's zanpakutou's spirits.

Putting on his captain's haori he blew out the single candle which illuminated the room. He heard you shift and he closed his eyes briefly. He didn't know how it went so wrong. He couldn't blame the pain affecting his mind, and it wasn't like he was flirted with. It was his own fault and he hoped you would be able to forget the entire event.

Warm hands slowly brushed over your face and a quiet apology made his warm breath linger over your cheek. After that he left your room, unwilling to continue being a burden on you when you would wake.


	13. Chapter 13

~13~ sickened and scorned

His blood was dried on the ground, the red a sight which made him give a soft frown. It only furthered the theory he had been physically attacked by someone. That much blood wouldn't have left him on an average day, even in one of his coughing fits.

Slowly he looked around, seeing if a trail was left. His haori fluttered in the air, showing the crimson inside of it. The wind a lot more temperamental than in Soul Society, he remembered why he used to have his hair held back. At one time in his career he used to come to the living world a lot more often.

Not finding any more hints to what happened one name left his lips. The one of someone he never thought he'd ever lose. One which he held so dear they became him.

"Sōgyo no Kotowari."

The name left his lips in a whisper and he gazed around, no spiritual energy strong enough to be able to take on a shinigami. Not a single hollow was around, and everything was oddly calmly. It didn't soothe him.


End file.
